By Tom Patterson
JOURNAL COLUMNIST

. . . . .exerpt from a column about exhibitions at the South Eastern Center for Contemporary Art:

Also on view at SECCA and continuing through June 18 is the third installment of a four-show series titled "Blurring Rcial Barriers." The underying concept involves bringing together works by mostly local artists from varied racial and cultural backgrounds in order to promote social harmony and mutual understanding. previous shows in the series were at Winston-Salem State University's Diggs Gallery and the Salem College Fine Arts Center.

Unfortunately, this installment suffers from its stepchild location in the atrium of SECCA's theater. It's also of lesser interest because there are a number of pieces from the two pervious shows.

Among its few new and note-worthy pieces is Ricky Needham's joyouslly wacky painting Camp Walter Johnson. This nocturnal landscape includes carnival rides and high-rise log cabins alongside a lake on which sleek, light-skinned and dark-skinned nudes pilot futuristic watercraft. Flying cars are arrayed across the night sky at the top, where they're joined by more sleek nudes in a kind of aerial ballet, as well as several smiling winged dragons.

One more installments of "Blurring Racial Barriers" is scheduled – at Delta Arts Center (Sept. 17-Oct. 31).